Protect You Always
by Fenori
Summary: It's been years since Flaky has seen Flippy, her childhood friend. So how does she respond when he turns up one day, out of the blue?
1. Sudden Encounter

_Hello :D FlakyxFlippy fluff but with some drama thrown in there~ Hope you enjoy!_

_I'll be writing the characters as humans. Please review and give feedback ^^_

Flaky breathed in the crisp morning air. It was a beautiful day in Happy Tree Town as usual, with just a few clouds in the sunny Saturday sky. She was on her way to buy some groceries from the local store, humming a song that had gotten stuck in her head from the radio. Her long, slightly messy crimson hair, warm from the sun, tickled her back.

Sudden movement caught the corner of her eye and she turned her head. A girl with short pink hair waved at Flaky from her window. Flaky waved back, smiling, and the girl ran outside to greet her.

"Good morning Flaky! I was thinking we should get together and go somewhere this afternoon," Giggles said with a grin. "Wanna meet up at the Café? It'll be Petunia's and my treat."

"Sure, Giggles," Flaky replied with another smile. "I'll be there."

Giggles squee'd. "Yay! Be there at twelve, okay?" Then they said their goodbyes and Flaky went back on her way.

They'll probably bring Cuddles and Handy along. She was happy to have friends like hers, but sometimes she felt like an awkward third wheel at their gatherings. A playground to the right rang out with children's squeals.

_Oh, they'll be such good friends_, Flaky's mother laughed. Flaky was behind her leg, fingers digging into the denim. The adults towered above her, and she could feel their amused eyes on her as she peered at the sized boy in front of her, who was eyeing her back curiously.

They all chuckled when he grabbed Flaky's hand and pulled toward the swingset behind him. When she began to cry from fright, he quickly stopped, and patted her head roughly.

_Good friends indeed, _his mother agreed, as he bent down and pulled a yellow flower from the grass and offered it to her with a wide grin. Flaky's sobs slowed to a stop, her gaze transfixed on the present.

He tugged again, more gently this time, and Flaky quietly complied. They spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and playing. That carefree laugh…

"Looking for something?" a man asked, causing Flaky to jolt while she absentmindedly browsed through the produce. He was rather tall with scruffy blue hair and had a name tag. _Hi, my name is: Lumpy._

"Oh, no, I'm all right," she mumbled. The grocer nodded and left. Flaky continued running her eyes over the fruits and vegetables, fingers hovering slightly over the selections.

Her hand hesitated when she reached the peanuts, remembering the shortness of breath, the swollen skin. Flaky didn't know what was happening the first time, as she stopped, frozen, gripping the bag of freshly roasted peanuts at the local fair.

The boy was walking next to her and paused when she did. His eyes widened in alarm. In an instant he ripped the bag from her fingers, throwing it in the nearest bin. When she looked to him in astonishment as they ran to their parents hand in hand, he only smiled in relief and she glanced down to see his hand swelling as well.

Into the basket went several bunches of bananas when Flaky was struck with a whim to bake. Flaky started towards the aisles, going past the bakery, the sweet smell of cake drifting in the air.

Balloons bobbed around the table and banners stretched across the walls. _Happy 10__th__ Birthday! _they seemed to shout with huge bubble font. After the singing and candle-blowing, the boy immediately tore open the first present which had been from his parents. He gasped as he slowly lifted out a green, camouflage-patterned army beret and beamed uncontrollably. Flaky never saw him without that hat since.

Lumpy was now at the cashier. She raised an eyebrow slightly, but she gave it no more heed and handed her items to him.

Flaky stepped out of the cool air-conditioned store and into the hot, dry sun. She realized that she had forgotten to put on sunscreen before leaving home and walked faster.

After what felt like too long to be staying in the heart, she caught sight of her house and quickly opened the front door. Flaky sighed in contentment as she flopped on her couch.

The clock ticked and echoed through the house, and light streamed through the windows onto her face. She lifted herself off a little to see the side table and her smiling parents' pictures. Flaky blew off the dust and adjusted the frames. More laughter drifted in from outside…

Two identical boys with messy dark green hair cackled at her, cupping baby chicks in their hands and pushing them at her face. Despite being in middle school, she wasn't over her irrational fear over the fuzzy birds and couldn't help but feel her eyes welling up.

_Ha! Whatta crybaby! _They sniggered. The school was on a field trip to the zoo, and the rest of the kids had gone ahead. Flaky quivered slightly, her feet glued.

The fluffy yellow disappeared from her field of vision as a familiar green appeared. _Hey! Leave her alone! _A boy shouted, balling his fists. The twins exchanged nervous glances and grins, wavering for a moment before dropping the chicks to flee while they could.

_Are you okay, Flaky? _He asked, turning around, eyebrows bunched with concern. The two were now alone in the petting zoo. Flaky said nothing. _I won't let anyone hurt you._

Before she could think, Flaky shot out and embraced him tightly. He tensed, but then gently returned the hug, and she could feel the warmth through his shirt. She smiled up at him and he grinned back.

Then Flaky realized what she was doing and let go. She looked down, her face burning hotly. The boy coughed, and gestured for her to catch up with the class. She wasn't sure as she ran behind him, but was he blushing?

Flaky gazed up lazily at the ticking clock, still immersed in old memories. The long and short hands pointed straight up. Twelve o'clock. She jumped. Oh no, the hangout! Flaky flung on her bag and slipped on her sneakers, practically falling out of the door.

"S-sorry I'm late," Flaky panted. She staggered into the Happy Tree Café and her friends were standing inside, their heads turning to her.

"It's fine, Flaky," Giggles said with an easy laugh. "We were just about to sit down."

"Haha… oh." She brushed the hair from her eyes and followed the group to a table. Giggles had brought Cuddles, and Petunia, Handy.

The couples held hands (though in Petunia's case, holding a dangling bandage of one of Handy's amputated arms) as they walked and sat down at a table. Then Giggles and Petunia got up and went to the kitchen to fetch them some food and drinks. The five chatted cheerfully with the occasional cracked jokes by Cuddles, which led to bursts of laughter.

Despite her happiness in the moment, Flaky couldn't help but let her mind wander back to his laughter as though, if she did not replay it enough in her thoughts, it would slip from her memories.

_Goodbye, Flaky, _the olive-haired boy said, lowering his beret. Flaky's heart skipped a beat and ice ran through her veins. _Why? Why are you going? _She said, her voice beginning to waver. _Will I ever see you again?_

The boy said nothing, only looking away. Flaky felt her eyes prick. A familiar sensation. _This is my duty,_ was all he said. Her closest friend. Her guardian. She tried to speak again, but her throat started to constrict and she couldn't let out a word. The boy started to turn away and out of her life. No…

She ran to him, giving him one last hug with his back to her, his camouflage jacket warm and familiar. When she let go he turned and kissed her lightly on the forehead. She flushed and he chuckled softly. Then she watched him walk away.

Her tears fell slowly but without end, even until she slept that day. Flaky was visibly more withdrawn and paranoid since then; her friends tried even harder to cheer her up. She was grateful and it did help, but there wasn't a day that went by without thinking of him. Yet they still flew past. Getting her job. Graduation. Get-togethers like this one.

The group talked and ate for hours until the sun started its path down the sky. They walked outside and waved goodbye to each other. Flaky hugged Giggles and Petunia tightly before she started back home again. Crickets began their chorus as she strolled.

Another fun day come and gone… Flaky rolled her shoulders on her couch, opening an unfinished book to spend the rest of the evening.

_VREEEEE!_

A vehicle's screech pierced the quiet nightfall, and Flaky started in alarm. What could be going on at this time of day? She opened the curtains to check outside.

Flaky screamed as a car swerved wildly and haphazardly down the road until she heard the crunch of metal. Even though accidents – of any kind, really — seemed unusually common in this town, she never got used to seeing them.

Flaky ran out of the house to help the victim. In the soft light of the streetlamps she could see there wasn't too much damage to the car; it had collided into a tree at the empty passenger's seat. There was no one else was in sight.

"Are you alright?!" She exclaimed, reaching the site of the accident. She heard a groan, and the driver's door opened. Flaky stiffened.

A young man limped out of the car, a bruise on his forehead slightly covered by a tuft of green hair and a faded beret. He shakily leaned against the car door, eyes darting around in the shadowy surroundings until they met Flaky's. She watched recognition light up his face, and felt her own still unable to speak.

"Flaky?"


	2. Reluctant Stay

Thanks for the reviews so far guys :DD I will try to keep going ):O Hope you enjoy~ it's a little shorter this time sorry D:

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><p>"Flaky?" The green-haired boy asked again. "It is you…" He breathed. Flaky still couldn't move, trying to process what was going on. After what seemed like an eternity, staring into each other's eyes, she spoke.<p>

"F…Flippy?" She whispered, since she her throat was constricting, like on that fateful day. He nodded, still with a look of awe and confusion.

"It's… been a while." He grinned but his eyes looked tired. Flippy looked even taller now, but he still had his toned, well-built physique, maybe even more developed. His silver dog tags tinkled and shone in the dim light, bright against a black shirt. He wore his old jacket and beret, both looking more worn, and… were those dark, faded spots…?

Flaky touched his shoulder, wondering if he was real. Flippy flinched at her contact, and she withdrew quickly, knowing better than embrace him here and now, as much as she wanted to. He didn't seem okay, after all. His eyes were slightly unfocused and, though he looked happy to see Flaky, he seemed… different. More hollow. She also noted the bruise on his head, bleeding slightly, and his limp. But she was so happy to see him, and so she laughed softly in a mix of amazement and relief and happiness. He came back when she thought she had lost him forever. She wanted to ask so many questions, but first things first. "We should get you to a doctor…"

But his eyes widened at this. "I—I don't think that's a good idea," Flippy muttered, turning away his head a little, avoiding her gaze.

"What? Why?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious." He said quickly. Flaky never remembered him to be afraid of doctors. But he seemed to have made up his mind, so she didn't pursue it any further, knowing how stubborn he could be sometimes. She sighed. "Well, you're definitely in no shape to be driving anywhere else tonight, wherever you were going. Neither is your car. Why don't you come in and we can talk more?" He looked panicked again.

"I'm fine, really," he insisted, starting to open the door of the car again. Flippy stumbled and Flaky held his arm to steady him. He twitched a little, but he didn't fight back, only breathing slowly. Flaky wondered why he was being so defiant, but she couldn't simply leave him here in the dark, injured with a broken car to top it off.

"Come on, at least for the night." Now Flippy sighed, nodding reluctantly. She slung his arm around her neck and slowly walked him to her house. He had to stoop to do this, and it felt a bit awkward, but they got inside eventually. She brought him to the couch, and he lied down, taking off his shoes and propping his right foot on a cushion. He examined it for a bit, wiggling the toes in his sock.

"Just a broken ankle. It should take a couple days, since now I'm in town. Injuries heal much faster here, don't they?" He said, smiling dryly. It was true. Along with the town's high accident rate, there was a quickening of healing as well. Deep wounds would close within a day or two, and broken bones within a week. Of course, not even the town's strange curative properties could stop death, if the damage was too severe…

Flaky nodded understandingly, quickly gathering some ice from the freezer and applying some in a bag on his forehead. She made a makeshift splint out of some cardboard and cloth for his ankle and helped him put it on. Flaky topped that off with a bag of more ice. When they finished, she simply sat next to him for a while on the side table, both silent.

"Sorry you have to see me like this," Flippy said, sighing. "What a great way to meet each other after so long. And how I have to take up your house like this."

"Oh, no. I'm just really happy to get to see you again," Flaky confessed, with all honesty, smiling. Then she fiddled with her hair, thinking of how lonely it was these past years. "When you left… I didn't know if I would be able to…"

"I'm glad I'm able to see you too," Flippy said, smiling back. Some more silence.

"So… were you driving back to your house? What happened?" Flippy looked up again at her.

"Yeah. The war was over and I was driving home, but I got, uh, startled by the street light. And crashed." He looked a little ashamed of himself.

"At least it wasn't anything too serious, thank goodness," Flaky murmured.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But I think my car is busted."

"I'll call for the car repairs to pick it up in the morning," Flaky said, with a hand wave. "Don't worry. It's fine if you stay till you get better." Secretly, she was excited to spend some time with Flippy after so long. But his gaze, pointed at the clock on the wall, was hard and unreadable.

"I don't know…" Flaky tilted her head. "I… I don't want to be any trouble to you," he said, turning to her again.

"Like I said, don't worry about it." Flaky smiled reassuringly. But he kept a look of helpless anxiety. The clock ticked some more.

"I'll let you sleep now," Flaky said, getting up. "See you in the morning, and don't be afraid to call me if you need anything." Flippy stayed where he was, still focusing on the clock like he wanted time to go by faster. Flaky went upstairs to her bedroom, and let out a breath as she closed the door behind her. She still couldn't believe what just happened. After all those years of thinking about him, Flippy was suddenly here, in her own house. _But he's acting so…_ Flaky shook her head in exasperation.

The phone rang. She picked it up, and Giggle's hyper voice rang out.

"What happened out there, Flaky?" Giggles exclaimed. "I was just showering, and there was this awful sound outside…"

"Oh, that? You wouldn't believe it. Flippy crashed while he was driving home," Flaky said, in almost one breath.

"_Flippy?_ Is he all right?"

"Yeah, he's on my couch downstairs right now. He just has a bruise and a broken ankle, but he'll be okay."

"Oh, phew. I hope he gets better soon! I'll tell the others, and we'll all give him a warm welcome back!"

"That'll be great, Giggles. I'm sure he'll be happy to see everyone else too."

"Okay, bed is calling. See ya, Flaky! I'll leave you two to your… ahem, alone time for a bit tomorrow too," Giggles said, with one of her trademark giggles.

"Huh? W-what do you mean by that?" Flaky exclaimed into the receiver, blushing already, but Giggles had already hung up. With a huff, Flaky put the phone back, and changed for bed, looking forward to tomorrow already.


	3. A Visit

_I wish this site had an edit button for already published stuff. I'm one of those people who, after submitting something, goes back and edits like, 5 or 10 more times LOL. Ithe last chapter, I think "uncooperative" describes Flippy more than defiant. :s_

_Feedback/comments/help appreciated as usual ^^ Sorry for the wait D: and if I have lapses in updating in the future; school is pretty busy and sometimes I don't feel like writing haha XD And thanks if you're still reading and made reviews :D _

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><p><em>Huff… huff… huff…<em>

Flaky was running, trees whipping past her. Her heart was pumping wildly, and she could barely see in the darkening light of the cool, waning afternoon. Branches were smacking every part of her body, which was still in her earlier outfit, but she could barely feel the stinging. And her bare feet were stumbling over the ground covered by broken twigs and sometimes things that shouldn't be in a forest – worn stuffed toys that looked vaguely familiar, dirty old photos…

She didn't know why she was running so urgently. When she tried to remember anything, her memories felt hazy. But whatever it was, Flaky seemed set on running full speed, whether it was something she was running towards… or running from. After what seemed like hours, a light was visible at the horizon. Her heart filled with relief, and the light flooded her vision. When her eyes adjusted, she saw a vague figure in a clearing. Flaky started towards it, slowing down, but then the light blinded her again until she could see nothing but pure white.

Flaky sat up in surprise, shading her eyes from the morning light shining into her room. For a while she just sat there, struggling to remember and piece together the events of her dream. What was that all about? It felt so real, she pondered, as she stretched her arms, yawning as she got out of bed and brushed her teeth in the bathroom. Then she changed out of her pajamas into a casual scarlet sweater and blue skirt. She peeked downstairs at her couch, and there was Flippy, now sitting and fiddling with his dog tags.

"Good morning," she greeted, waving at Flippy.

He glanced up. "Morning."

"I guess we should get the car to the repairs," Flaky mused, walking to the phone. Then she paused before her hand touched a button. "Oh, wait! Did you have any luggage?"

"Yeah, some. I'm feeling a little better now, but not enough to stand."

"I'll get it. Sorry about that," she said hurriedly, dashing outside. The black car was a sorry sight, now that she could see it clearly in the light. Flaky went over to the rear and tried pulling the trunk door open with no success. After a few more attempts and panting, she looked back at the house to see Flippy smirking and holding his keys up. She went back to the house, flushed, and snatched them. When Flaky got the trunk open she saw only a large, dark green suitcase. It was heavy, and standing up it was as tall as her waist, but with effort Flaky lugged it back to the house. With an exhale, she gently dropped it in front of Flippy.

"Thanks, Flakes," he said, and she nodded, still flushed. Then she went to the phone, calling the car repairs. Out of the corner of her eye, Flaky noticed Flippy opening the suit case and pulling out a small cylinder. A pill bottle? He shook a couple pills into his mouth and put the bottle back. Flaky hung up and turned back to Flippy. "Now we wait."

Flaky made some breakfast for them as they waited. She dropped eggs and bacon into a sizzling pan, and tossed bread into the toaster. The two ate and watched from the couch as a truck, driven by a familiar blue haired man, carried away the car. Flippy sighed. "Maybe I should just get a new car.

"Don't worry, it'll only take about a week," Flaky said, between bites of toast. "As I said, it's perfectly fine with me for you to stay here as long as you need." She tried to smile reassuringly, but Flippy continued to eat quietly, saying nothing. Flaky quickly went back to her toast, face burning a little. When they finished, they both awkwardly sat on the couch for a while. Then Flaky sat up suddenly. "I almost forgot! The others want to see you," she said, getting up brightly and smoothing her skirt out. "I'm not sure if Giggles was going to come here, or-"

The doorbell rang, and Flaky jumped in surprise. "Never mind," she said, walking to the door next to the couch. Right when she opened it, a flash of pink appeared and suddenly Flaky was struggling to breathe.

"Flakyyy!" Giggles exclaimed while he squeezed her. Flaky could only choke in reply, dark spots starting to appear in her sight, and Giggles let go with a giggle. When her vision cleared, Flaky could make out some people behind her. She could see Cuddles, Petunia, Handy, and Toothy, craning their heads trying to find Flippy. "Sorry, we were gonna leave you guys alone for a bit longer, but I just couldn't wait to see you guys!"

"Oh, it's all right," Flaky said, laughing. It was getting awkward alone with Flippy, she added in her head. What's with him? "Come on in!"

Her friends walked, taking off their shoes, and as they came in, Flippy widened his eyes as he recognized them. Then they saw him as well, and soon there were greetings and chatter filling up the room. When they closed in around him, he put on a smile, but he seemed to shoot a look at Flaky that screamed, _YOU DID NOT TELL ME ABOUT THIS. _ Flaky shrugged sheepishly, as if to reply, _I forgot, _and Flippy had no choice but to turn his attention to everyone else. Flippy still looked aloof and cagey, but he seemed to be happy to see everyone, if not tired still. Flaky stood nearby, talking occasionally, but the focus was on Flippy, the friend they thought would never come back. She was just happy they all could meet and be together again.

Flaky got out a plate of snacks, filled with cookies and crackers, and some packs of soda. They all gathered and settled in her living room, still chatting.

"Ooh, so what about your experiences in the war, Flippy?" Petunia asked, sipping her Coke. She was looking clean and prim as usual, her electric blue hair with light highlights tied in a pony tail.

"Uh huh, we'd love to know, if it's all right with you!" Giggles added. Her short hair bobbed slightly. "I bet you have some interesting stories to tell."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that…" Flippy said, his brow furrowing and his eyes hard to read, as Flaky guessed he was remembering the past. "But it's all right." He shifted in his seat on the couch, which he still couldn't get up from, and took a deep breath. Everyone seemed to lean forward, listening intently now, silent.

"It was… bloody, to say the least. I've watched children and my fellow soldiers die before my eyes. Sometimes I could hear them in my sleep. …I suppose I still do. Once, we had to set fire to a whole village because too risky to let the enemy escape. Of course, it was impossible to guarantee the safety of the innocent living there. But it was necessary, no? A few lives to save the rest." He continued to sit there, lost in his thoughts, a faint smirk on his face. The others were still quiet.

Flaky was thinking over his words, realization dawning of the magnitude of what Flippy faced. Flippy, alone from his friends, watching so much destruction and dying. And she thought she had it bad, sulking every day after he left. She suddenly was ashamed of her selfishness, compared to what Flippy experienced.

"You must have been so strong, Flippy," Flaky finally whispered, breaking the silence. Flippy turned and fixed his eyes on hers in slight surprise and wondering.

"Yeah, I don't think any of us could have done that," Cuddles said, looking thoughtful too in his yellow sweatshirt. The others nodded.

Flippy smiled more genuinely. "Thanks, guys."

The chatter slowly filled the room again, and soon everyone was cheerful again; but Flaky didn't think Flippy's words had dissolved completely from the air.


End file.
